Advent Announcement 2016

The Neocatechumenal Way had its Advent Announcement last night at the Asan Church.  Father Pius delivered some good news.  Some of the brothers from Guam went to evangelize in Palau and gave a catechesis.  The good news is that there will now be an NCW in the island of Palau.  

Father Pius spoke about Kiko's new book, which was recently published.  His book entitled "Annotations 1988-2014" are reflections and notes by Kiko Arguello.  His book will soon be translated into English so that we would be able to read it.  

Those who attended the announcement last night also received a 16 page letter from Cardinal Gerhard Muller, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.  I cannot publish the entire letter on this blog, but I will quote some of the most interesting parts in the letter (the bold is mine): 

1. And while the holy people of God participates in the prophetic mission of Christ by means of a life of faith and charity (LG 12), the Holy Spirit gives charisms from the simple to those "most extraordinary" - like those of the founders of orders, families or religious movements - which "are to be received with thanksgiving and consolation for they are perfectly suited to and useful for the needs of the Church" (LG 12).
2.  Therefore, to ensure that the Church may not be fragmented in its various offices, ministries and charisms but recomposed in its variety to form and build unity in Christ, the Church's Magisterium, entrusted to the Pope, shall guard for the universal Church over the unity of the whole people of God, expressed in the variety of vocations and charisms and the Magisterium of the bishops for the local churches, "The judgement as to their authenticity and proper use belongs to those who are appointed leaders in the Church, to whose special competence it belongs, not indeed to extinguish the Spirit, but to test all things and hold fast to that which is good. (see 1 Ts 5.12 and 19-21)" (LG 12)
3. In the exercise of the mandate given to them by christ, the Popes have analysed, accompanied and promoted the Neocatechumenal Way in various stages.  It was Pope Benedict XVI, on 11th May 2008, who gave to their statutes the canonical approval, recognized also the founders' charism as an action of the Holy Spirit given for the Church's pastoral and spiritual edification and approving this itinerary of evangelization of the world and of the new evangelization for baptized Catholics. 
4.  The painful issue in the Churches of old Catholic culture is just that: many of them, despite being "sacramentalised", are not "evangelized"; they have a theoretical knowledge of their faith, but without being rooted spiritually and existentially in it, and without being completely permeated by the love of God and of neighbour.  Of course, it wouldn't be fair to judge people solely based on this contrast, which is a general characterization of the state of Christianity in the European-American culture.  And since here it is not a matter of the catechumenate for adults before their baptism, but rather to awaken, sustain and fortify the faith according to the model of the pre-baptismal catechumenate, this is synthetically called "neocatechumenate."  

What I placed in bold in #2 is extremely important.  The judgement as to the authenticity and proper use of the Neocatechumenal Way belongs to the appointed leaders of the Church.  It does not belong to Tim Rohr, CCOG, or LFM.

Number 3 is also very important and I placed the whole paragraph in bold.  The Popes have analysed, accompanied and promoted the Neocatechumenal Way in various stages.  It was Pope Benedict XVI, on 11th May 2008, who gave to their statutes the canonical approval, recognized also the founders' charism as an action of the Holy Spirit...    

The announcement closed with a reminder to all NCW members to start building their belens  or nativity inside their homes so family members can start praying the novena.  A few instructions were given to the younger communities.